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http://www.cwa-union.org/issues/entry/c/rmc |
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Update on CWA Retired Members Chapter—81359
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CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359
Here is the Update for our Local’s Retired Members Chapter-81359 for the August 2013 Union meeting:
- I have received a very slow and poor response to the home mailing for retirees to join our CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359; approximately 13 responses.
- I believe the response has been slow for the following reasons:
- IUE contacts the retired members as soon as it receives their names from Momentive; therefore, confusing retirees as to what Retiree Group to join. A number of retirees have already joined the IUE Retirees Group.
- CWA tells me “We are ALL one now (retirees),” but IUE sees that differently. I received a call from Keith Bailey—IUE Retirees Group, asking me “why we are starting a CWA Retirees Chapter instead of joining the IUE Retirees Group?” His next comment was “Jim Clark will do more for you than CWA.” Honestly…that floored me; after Clark’s Letter to Local 81359 members on this last Contract, and of course—past history between our Local and IUE.
- Former GE/Local 81359 Retirees only know or knew the IUE as their representative; also, their Retirements –Pensions & Benefits were NOT from Momentive; and their Pensions & Benefits have been pretty much stable with GE. They really aren’t concerned with changes to Momentives Contracts. There is NOT a big concern over their Pensions and/or Healthcare Benefits (at Momentive) since they are strictly tied to their former relationship with General Electric. Therefore, there is NOT a big interest in joining the CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359.
- Remember, Healthcare was tied to Momentive on the sale—you could keep GE Healthcare at about 50% of the cost—and other items—i.e.—supplements—, as part of the “Successor language” of the 2007 Contract; the Supplements and any future credits towards Pensions are now under Momentive.
- Our Charter Application will finally be approved; I had to wait on a couple of Charter Applicant Members to submit their $25.00—one time, lifetime fee to CWA. Hopefully, we will have our Charter by the time of the August 2013 Union Meeting.
- A few notes on our Local Chapter:
- We are a separate entity, with a separate Charter with CWA; we are AFFILIATED with, but not part of IUE/CWA Local 81359’s Charter. We have our own By-Laws, which we will work on stipulating and submitting to CWA in the very near future. We will submit a copy of our By-Laws to IUE/CWA Local 81359 for their reference; you may want to include these as an addendum to the Locals By-Laws? Once the CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359 By-Laws are drafted, we will submit them to the CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359 for approval, and also to the CWA Retired Members Council (overseer of all CWA Retired Members Chapters) for approval.
- John Phelps has accepted the Office of Temporary President of our CWA Retired Members Chapter—81359. Nominations and an election, for all Officers of the Chapter, will be held at our first meeting of the membership of our Local Chapter.
- After that, we should be ready to have our first meeting of the membership to set goals, priorities, dues, etc—for the CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359.
Some suggestions to make the CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359 work, and hopefully grow in membership:
- It would be nice to know how many have retired since Momentive has taken over (2007) to see how many could or would be adversely affected by Pensions and Healthcare benefits associated with Momentive Contracts? We could target these retirees specifically in the future. Can we get these numbers and names? Former GE/IUE Retirees seem to be mostly content in their current lifestyles; are older and have moved on (many—geographically also) from involvement.
- I was unable to make the Local’s Steak Roast due to a death of a friend of ours—the service was on the same day. I was hoping to make some contacts at the Steak Roast. Also, there is a group of retirees that meets on the last Thursday of the month for breakfast at the Halfmoon Diner; most are former GE retirees, but I was invited to attend if I wanted to talk to the group. The Christmas Party would be another opportunity to meet and recruit members for our Local Chapter.
- The E-Board and the Local recommend Momentive retirees join the CWA Retired Members Chapter-81359. Everyone saw the attacks on Pensions & Healthcare at the recent 2013 Momentive/IUE Contract; these benefits affect current and future Retirees also. Retirees of Momentive need to be concerned and active in protecting these benefits; therefore, they should stay informed and involved through the CWA Retired Members Chapter—81359.
- As I said previously, there still is the political pull from IUE to get retirees to join them versus CWA retirees; CWA says one thing (we are all one now-retirees)…but I don’t believe they are willing to confront the IUE Division about the Retirees’ choice(s). By the way, the IUE Retirees group charges $3.00 per month ($36 a year—every year) a retiree is in their Retiree group, versus a one time, lifetime fee of $25.00 to CWA to be a Lifetime Member of the CWA Retired Members Council. I really don’t know how to address this “politicking” between the 2 organizations?
- We do have a website for those that are computer savvy-- https://www.facebook.com/CwaRetiredMembersChapter81359WaterfordNy . Please recommend this website to all retirees and to current officers, stewards and the membership; and of course—to all retirees.
- Another idea is to have CWA contact me/us—the Local Chapter, with any updated, computer lists they have, or have received from Momentive, so that we can contact those retirees immediately, before the IUE gets their hands on them (or contact retirees and promote our Chapter). And again, Local 81359 can keep us informed about upcoming and/or current retirees, and also recommend the CWA Retired members Chapter-81359 to retirees.
- Any others ideas would be greatly appreciated.
- We have recommended to Local 81359 E-Board that the President of the CWA Retired members Chapter-81359 be an E-Board member also; an ex-officio member, without voting rights on the Board. We ask the Local 81359 to discuss this, and make a recommendation to the membership at the next Union meeting.
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